An article on an Italian website appears to suggest that the International Formula Master series could be re-named GP3 in 2009 and support Formula 1 at five rounds.

The site allows you to roughly translate the article from Italian into English (see the button at the top of the page) because if anyone out there who can speak italian can help me understand the original I’d be very grateful.

F1 also has GP2 at the European race and GP2 Asia at some other rounds, plus the Porsche Supercup at most rounds of the series.

If this rumour turns out to be true, and one series has to be dropped to make way for GP3, then I’d have no complaints about losing the Porsches.

Formula Master is a relatively new series itself, which started last year as a support series to the World Touring Car Championship. How this later rumour might fit in with Max Mosley’s stated aim of reviving Formula 2 at improbably low costs remains to be seen. However it is interesting to note that the trademark for the GP3 logo is owned by Formula One Promotions and Administration – a company owned by Bernie Ecclestone.

7 comments on GP3 to support F1 in 2009?

I just came across this, this morning, on a forum. Quite an interesting statement, if true. It’s certainly ‘logical’ to have GP3, GP2 and GP1 compete on a similar or partly similar schedule. However, it makes me wonder how long it will take before F1 becomes GP1. Bernie already made what appeared to be a mistake in an interview, some time ago, referring to F1 as GP1.

I’d like to see Formula Master get a bit more exposure. It’s a good little series slightly wasted in supporting the WTCC.

However as Lustigson says rumours like this don’t exactly seem to decrease the speculation of competing top-line championships. If people are so keen to highlight the succession of GP3 to GP2 then it would seem logical to assume that someone is seriously thinking of GP1. Meanwhile Mosely is working on reconnecting the F3-F2-F1 chain…

I hope the Porsches aren’t dropped as a support race. These are the GT1s and GT2s which also compete at Le Mans and other top events, and as such are the highest level of tin-top racing, on a par with F1. And it would be a shame to have purely open-wheel racing all weekend.
Though I can see where Bernie might be leading the F1 family, as it has been mentioned before on the blog that he is considering using GP3 and GP4 as names for something. I suppose he is waiting to see what series are available for his (or his wifes, or CVCs) money.
And yes, I think F1 is going to change its name to GP1 in the near future – probably in 2010 when Max has ‘retired’ and Bernie takes the series out of the hands of the FIA (and notice he now has control over the teams with FOT).